Meizu will launch the Pro7 on July 26. Alongside the new flagship, it will also unveil a new pair of headphones called the Meizu Flow.

An image of the Meizu Flow leaked ahead of its launch and for audiophiles who are familiar with earphones, it looks very familiar. A Twitter user @LeaksEva who had previously seen the earphones on a French retail site cdiscount.com for €599.99 tweeted that it looks like the AKG K3003i released back in 2011.

Why does Meizu’s new earphone seem so much like AKG K3003? Shame on! pic.twitter.com/jaZtGpOr2E

— Leaks Eva (@LeaksEva) July 17, 2017

The AKG K3003i is a pair of high-end earphones that sold for over $500. It is even listed for $999.95 on AKG’s own website but goes for $649.99 on Amazon. The AKG K3003i is not only an expensive pair of earphones, it is also one of the best in the market.

It is not unusual to see Chinese manufacturers clone the design of other popular companies. Last year, Xiaomi was in the news for copying the design of the Jawbone Mini Jambox for its Mi Box speaker. We don’t know if Jawbone filed a lawsuit or not. However, we will never know as Jawbone is now dead.

READ MORE: Meizu Staff Debunks Rumours Of Exynos 8895-powered Pro 7

AKG may also not take this up with Meizu. The Flow will most likely not sell for up to half the price of the AKGs and may never sound as good as it is. Meizu does make good earphones though so we expect the Flow to sound good but not as great as the K3003i.

(Source, via)

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There has been an endless leak of Samsung’s upcoming flagship, the Galaxy S8. Today is no different as new images of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ in flesh (or rather glass and metal) have surfaced online.

The most recent one is a picture showing both flagships side by side. This image highlights the major difference in both phones which is their screen size.

Wondering about the plethora of sensors lining the front 0f both phones? The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are expected to feature an iris scanner which is the large sensor on the right, the small one beside it is probably a LED flash. Then there is the earpiece sitting in the middle. Next to it on the left is the proximity and ambient light sensors, the front camera, and then the notification LED. These are pre-production units, so some of these sensors should not be this visible on the final product.

The second image shows the Galaxy S8 in a case. This unit is black, so you can see the sensors are not as visible as in the first image. The Always On Display is active and its showing info like the date, battery level and what looks like a Play Store notification.

The Galaxy S8 is expected to launch with a 5.8-inch display while the S8+ will sport a 6.2-inch screen. Depending on the region, you either get the Snapdragon 835 chipset or Samsung’s own Exynos 8895. Both phones will be waterproof and will come with a pair of AKG earphones in the box. That should not be a surprise since Samsung now owns Harman International Industries which is the parent company for JBL and AKG Acoustics. The new Galaxy Tab S3 comes with AKG audio and during its launch, Samsung revealed that future Galaxy devices will also feature the audio technology

(Source)

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The name Harman Kardon should be familiar to audiophiles but not everyone knows they (Harman International Industries) are the parent company for other popular audio brands like JBL and AKG Acoustics. Fewer people even know they are into the design and manufacturing of connected products for automobiles.

The American company has however been acquired by Korean electronics giant, Samsung, in a move for Samsung to accelerate it’s growth in automotive and connected technologies.

Harman’s technology which includes telematics, infotainment, connected safety and security is currently in use in more than 30 million vehicles. Even a large chunk of their $7 billion 2016 fiscal year earnings which ended in September is automotive related. Samsung wants to be at the forefront of the technology used in smart cars when it goes mainstream as they believe the same revolution that happened to phones will happen to cars too.

The acquisition will see both parties benefit greatly from each other. Samsung will have access to long term automobile partners of Harman, and Harman will in turn gain access to Samsung’s experience in displays, semi-conductors, and user experience. We may also see future Samsung mobile devices have better audio performance. How soon the latter will happen is unknown but I won’t rule out the Samsung S8 being the first device to feature enhanced audio or possibly shipping the phone with JBL earphones like the ZTE Axon Pro.

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy S8 Rumoured to Drop Physical Home Button

Samsung will acquire the company for $112 per share or a total equity value of $8 billion which will be paid in cash. When the deal is closed, Samsung says Harman will continue to operate as a standalone company with no changes in management. It will also retain its work force, facilities and all its other sub-brands.

Source: Samsung News

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Although Meizu may be well known now as the manufacturer of the M1 series of Smartphones, their roots lie in music. Originally, they prided themselves as producers of high-end MP3 players and their roots are clearly evident from the crisp HIFI audio at the heart of their M1 and MX4 pro flagships. Recently, they have teased us with an empty headphone box with their emblem on it, signaling the unveiling of a pair of never before seen DJ style headphones.

After weeks of teasing, the Company’s Vice President, Li Han, confirmed the rumor to be truethrough Weibo. He also mentions their collaboration with a massive global audio brand, AKG acoustics, and when released, will be the company’s first solo headphones without any other flagship devices attached. Right now, we are all baffled by this empty box and have to wait until all is revealed on April 15th, according to the latest reports.

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